Jean-Joel Gerin

Jean-Joel Gerin (31 March 1768-2 June 1813) was an admiral of the French Navy.

Biography
Jean-Joel Gerin was born in Saint-Valery-en-Caux, around 15 miles to the west of Dieppe, Kingdom of France. Gerin enlisted in the French Army in 1778 at the age of 10 and became a cabin boy on a French Navy warship during the American Revolutionary War. After the French Revolutionary Wars, he was rapidly promoted and reached the rank of Commodore. Gerin fought in the Quasi-War against the US Navy from 1798 to 1800, and Gerin escaped the American fleet in the Action of 21 October 1799 with a few more losses than the Americans. Gerin later retired and was sent to a naval post in Kourou, French Guiana. He died in Cayenne in 1813 while serving as an administrator of the city, dying of a 105-degrees fever.